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Our classic meatloaf recipe is comfort food you can feel good about. It’s tender, flavorful, and easy to put together, with only 10 minutes of hands-on time. It’s weeknight friendly, but totally dinner party-worthy, too. Don’t miss it.
Why we love this recipe
Our classic meatloaf recipe is a family favorite that telegraphs love and coziness without unnecessary heaviness. It’s:
- Cozy and comforting
- Reasonably lean, yet super-satisfying
- Tender and flavorful
- Quick and easy to make
- Prep–ahead friendly, and makes great leftovers
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- My favorite ground beef to use for classic meatloaf is 90% lean grass-fed and -finished beef. 90% has enough fat to be tender and flavorful but not so much that it gets messy. Grass-fed beef has tons of flavor and is better for animal welfare, the environment, and your bod.
- If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use GF breadcrumbs and a GF brand of Worcestershire sauce. To make it dairy-free, you can sub chicken or beef broth for the milk.
- Herbes de Provence are a beautiful blend that typically includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and/or bay leaf. It quickly elevates a simple recipe like this one. We use it a lot on this site — you can type it into the search bar to find more ways to use it.
My favorite sources for meat & pantry staples
For years, I’ve been sourcing our meat from ButcherBox. We love this curated meat delivery service, which provides grass-finished beef, heritage breed pork, organic chicken, and more from small farms direct to the customer. You can learn more in my extensive Butcher Box review and unboxing.
I love Thrive Market for a wide variety of products. Often described as one part Whole Foods, one part Costco, they’re a membership-based online market for healthier products at discounted prices. Plus, they’re mission-driven, engaged in the community, and not currently owned by a giant corporation. You can learn more in my Thrive Market review and unboxing.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make this recipe shine. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Sautéing the onions in a little bit of olive oil as the first step (a smart move inspired by the Barefoot Contessa) adds a beautiful depth and mellowness to the final product.
- After that, you’ll mix together all the ingredients except the beef and half the ketchup in a large mixing bowl. Then add the beef and fold it in gently but thoroughly, until the mixture is fairly homogenous but without compacting the meat. This yields a nice light, tender result.
- Shape the mixture into a loaf on a parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan. The more even the shape, the more even the cooking. Brush it with the remaining ketchup.
- Bake in the center of a 350°F oven for about an hour, until the internal temperature reaches 155° to 160°F.
Expert tips and FAQs
My favorite ground beef to use for classic meatloaf is 90% lean grass-fed and -finished beef. 90% has enough fat to be tender and flavorful but not so much that it gets messy. Grass-fed beef has tons of flavor and is better for animal welfare, the environment, and your bod.
You sure can. For gluten-free meatloaf, use gluten-free breadcrumbs, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. To make it dairy-free, you can substitute chicken or beef broth for the milk. You don’t need to make any further changes.
You can prep the meatloaf at any time during the day, cover it with foil, and pop into the refrigerator. Spread the ketchup on top just before cooking. You can bake the loaf directly from the fridge — but you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time to compensate for the cold.
Meatloaf makes great leftovers. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and reheat or eat in sandwiches. Or slice, wrap well, and freeze for up to three months.
How to serve it
Here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with meatloaf.
- Mashed potatoes or creamy mashed cauliflower
- Broccolini
- Buttermilk cornbread muffins
- Steakhouse creamed spinach
- Kale salad
- Southern-style collards
- Mac and cheese (Instant Pot or baked)
More great recipes with ground beef
Love a good loaf?
Us too. Here are two more of our favorites:
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Classic Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (56 grams) dry Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (136 grams) ketchup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
- 2 pounds (907 grams) ground beef (90% lean)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
- Warm the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to become translucent, about five minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the remaining salt, the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the ketchup, the milk, the Worcestershire sauce, the herbs, and the cooked onions. Mix well.
- Add the ground beef. Use a rubber spatula to gently but thoroughly fold the ingredients together, mixing without compressing the meat. This will help keep the meatloaf light and tender.
- Line a rimmed half sheet pan or other large baking dish with parchment.
- Turn out the meatloaf mixture into the center of the pan and shape it into an even loaf.
- Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of ketchup over the top of the loaf.
- Bake for about an hour, until the internal temperature is between 155° and 160°F.
- Let rest for at least five minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- My favorite ground beef to use for classic meatloaf is 90% lean grass-fed and -finished beef. 90% has enough fat to be tender and flavorful but not so much that it gets messy. Grass-fed beef has tons of flavor and is better for animal welfare, the environment, and your bod.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and Worcestershire sauce. To make it dairy-free, you can substitute chicken or beef broth for the milk.
- If evening time is a factor, you can prep the meatloaf earlier in the day, cover it with foil and pop into the refrigerator. Brush with the ketchup just before cooking. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
- Meatloaf makes great leftovers. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and reheat or eat in sandwiches. Or slice, wrap well, and freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Very easy to make and my family liked it a lot. Served with the classic sides of green beans and mashed potatoes for a comforting dinner that is easy on the cook too. Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad, Vivian! Thank you.